Mesarvot

Mesarvot (Hebrew: מסרבות, lit. 'Refusers (fem.)') is an Israeli organization supporting conscientious objectors in their total refusal to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. The organization has existed since 2015[1] and provides a network for public attention and legal support of youth refusing to join the army and former conscientious objectors.

Activities

The organization publicises cases of youth that completely refuse to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and promotes public discourse on the topic, supports conscientious objectors legally and with media trainings, during imprisonment and provides community for young people who make the decision to refuse. The organization supports hundreds of people every year. Usually, young people they support refuse to serve in the army to protest Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and to stand in solidarity with Palestinians.[2][3][4]

Notable Refuseniks Supported by Mesarvot

Mesarvot has provided legal and media support for numerous high-profile refuseniks who served time in military prison. Some notable cases include:

  • Tair Kaminer (2016) - Served 170 days in military prison, one of the longest sentences for a female conscientious objector in Israel.[1]
  • Aiden Katri (2016) - The first transgender woman to be jailed for refusing to join the army.[5]
  • Noa Gur Golan (2017) - Served 98 days in prison; she and her mother were targeted in a smear campaign by the right-wing tabloid Israel Hayom.[6]
  • Ofir Averbukh (2017) - Released after serving 150 days in military prison.[7]
  • Adam Rafaelov (2018) - Imprisoned seven times for his refusal to be stationed in the occupied territories.[2][8]
  • Maya Brand-Feigenbaum (2019) - Imprisoned multiple times for her refusal.[2]
  • Roman Levin (2019) - A former soldier who became a refusenik after spending over a year as a truck driver in the military, sentenced to 30 days in prison.[9]
  • Hallel Rabin (2020) - Served 56 days in military prison before being released by the military's conscientious objectors committee.[10]
  • Tal Mitnick and Sofia Orr (2023–2024) - The first to refuse enlistment following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an international arms embargo.[11][12][13]
  • Itamar Greenberg (2024–2025) - An Israeli teenager who refused conscription during the Gaza war, stating his refusal to wear a uniform that he believed symbolized "killing and oppression." Greenberg served 197 days in military prison—the longest sentence for an Israeli conscientious objector in over a decade—before being released in March 2025.[14][15]
  • Ella Keidar Greenberg (2025) - The first openly transgender conscientious objector in a decade. Sentenced to military prison in March 2025 for refusing the draft, Keidar Greenberg publicly articulated her ideological opposition to both the Gaza War and the broader Israeli occupation. A prominent activist with Mesarvot and the Youth Communist League, she closely linked her refusal to her transgender identity, framing her objection as a rejection of the patriarchal and capitalist systems she believes the military enforces.[16][17]

Political positions

The organization describes itself as feminist and criticizes patriarchal structures in the IDF as well as sexual harassment.[1]

Mesarvot is part of the Anti-Occupation Bloc, an alliance of Israeli and Palestinian organisations advocating against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In 2022, Mesarvot staged a protest in Tel Aviv to mourn the killing of the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by the IDF while reporting in the West Bank. The group also participates in solidarity actions in the West Bank. In February 2023, Mesarvot activists joined protests against the eviction of Palestinian buildings in Masafer Yatta.

Mesarvot also participated in the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests and connected the planned reform with the government's occupation policies.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Kaminer, Tair. "Israel: Weiblich-politische Verweigerung als feministische Aktion". Connection e.V. (in German). Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  2. ^ a b c Hallward, Maia; Tuschling, Lina (2020-09-01). "Opposition from within – Israeli soldiers resist the occupation". Global Change, Peace & Security. 32 (3): 246–247. doi:10.1080/14781158.2020.1797659. ISSN 1478-1158.
  3. ^ a b Thakker, Prem (2024-01-08). "Israeli Refuseniks Forsake Army Despite Post-October 7 Nationalist Frenzy". The Intercept. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  4. ^ "14 May '24 – Infotalk: Refusing Military Service in Israel and anti-occupation activism (verhuur*) – Theater De Generator" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. ^ "Israeli transgender activist asks to go to women's prison". The Times of Israel. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  6. ^ Marom, Yali (2017-11-19). "Israel Hayom's new target: Conscientious objector's mother". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  7. ^ "Conscientious objector freed after 150 days in IDF prison". +972 Magazine. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  8. ^ "Israeli conscientious objector sent to prison for seventh time". +972 Magazine. 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  9. ^ Noy, Orly (2019-02-28). "Israeli conscientious objector sentenced to 30 days in prison". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  10. ^ Ziv, Oren (2020-11-27). "'Refusing to serve in the army is my small act of making change'". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  11. ^ Toi Staff (28 December 2023). "Teen sent to military prison over draft refusal; cited 'revenge campaign' in Gaza". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  12. ^ Thakker, Prem (2024-05-09). "Israeli Military Refusers Appeal to Biden: "Stop Arming Israel's War"". The Intercept. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  13. ^ Segalov, Michael (2024-01-23). "'More killing won't bring back lost lives': Tal Mitnick, 18, on going to prison instead of joining IDF". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  14. ^ ""I couldn't wear a uniform that symbolizes killing and oppression": Israeli activist who refuses to serve in the Israeli army". Amnesty International. March 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  15. ^ "Israeli teens refuse military service". CNN. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  16. ^ Ziv, Oren (2025-03-24). "'When our grandchildren ask what we did during the genocide, I'll say I refused'". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  17. ^ Greenberg, Ella Keidar (2025-03-25). "'I refuse': Israeli draft resister and trans activist Ella Keidar speaks out". People's World. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
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